Educational blackboard



April 1955 J. SCHATZ EDUCATIONAL BLACKBOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV.15, 1952 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH SCHATZ 3 l 4 P I l V 51\ N P RsTUv X 6 mo uvn nxv z alvJKbMNOPQRS dKL NOPQRSTU BY FIG. 2

April 3, 1956 J. SCHATZ EDUCATIONAL BLACKBOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledNov. 15, 1952 INVENTOR. JOSEPH SCHAT ATTORNEY 3Y1 .1.] %4 5.FLFLFLFLFLFIFLFLFLFL m FBGDEFGH JKLMNOPQR TUVWXYZ 234567690 3241 GUnited States Fatent 1 2,740,206 EDUCATIONAL BLACKBOARD Joseph Schatz,Malden, Mass. Application November 15, 1952, Serial No. 320,755 3Claims. (Cl. 35-62) The present invention relates to an improvement foran educational blackboard, described in my prior issue Patent No.2,494,362, and in particular to the operating means and the constructionand assembly of the device as a whole.

In the present device as in the prior patent, words may be spelled outby letters. In the present invention, however, the columns of letters inall cases are turned by a single crank, selection of the column beingcontrolled by sliding an indicator directly under the column in front ofthe black-board instead of manipulating each column from the rear orfrom some other position.

Further and other advantages of the present invention will be morereadily appreciated from the description in the specification set forthbelow when taken in connection with the drawings illustrating anembodiment thereof, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a part of the invention with theblack-board forming the cover and window openings removed.

Figure 2 shows a respective view of the invention as seen from the frontand side.

Figure 3 shows a detail substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a view of the column of letters on a tape laid out flat.

Figure 5 shows a view of a further tape upon which illustrations may beplaced also developed and shown in a flat view.

Figure 6 shows a section taken substantially on the line 66 of Figure 1.

Figures 7 shows a perspective view of a detail of the operatingmechanism for carrying and turning the tapes upon which the letters aredisplayed.

Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a detail of the operating mechanismfor carrying and turning the tapes upon which the letters are displayed.

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of a detail of the operating mechanismfor carrying and turning the tape upon which the figure is displayed,and,

Figure 10 shows a perspective view of the mechanism for manually turningthe selected top columns of the device.

In the arrangement indicated in the figures, Figure 2 shows an easelblack-board 1 which comprises a front frame 2, which has two sidesupporting uprights 3 and 4 and other cross member supports whichinclude a top cap member 5 and lower cross supports 6, as well as crosssupports 7 and S, which together with the side mem bers 3 and 4 define acentral frame which contains all the movable letters and illustrateddrawings which will be described later.

Between the cross support 8 at the bottom of the blackboard frame andthe lower support 6, there is provided an adjustable table element 9which is pivoted at its top end by pivoting links 10 and 11 secured oneither side of the upri ht frame elements 3 and 4. Towards the outer endof the table element, at the sides, are pairs of pivoting links 12 and13 which are linked together and may be unfolded to alignment 180 sothat the table may be substantially horizontal when in an open position.The easel frame is collapsible since the back supporting frame piece 13'is pivoted at each side of the front section of the easel to the beams 3and 4 respectively by means of the pivoting bracket 14 towards the topend 2,740,206 Patented Apr. 3, 1956 2 of the easel. A pair of pivotedfolding fingers 15 and 16 extending from the side frame beams 3 and 4 tothe side supports 17 of the frame support 13' support the whole stand inan upright position. The child may sit in front of the black-board,using the table 9 as a writing board, and he may put his feet upon thecross support or beam 6. This brings him close enough to the board tooperate the crank handle lltl which turns a rod 19 (see Figure l) forchanging any of the letters in the window openings 20, in theblack-board 21 as will be more fully explained below.

The space behind the black-board 21, between the up right frame members3 and 4, is provided with a vertical partition 22 which serves tosupport one of the ends of each of the rods 23 and 24 which carry thestrip or tape 25 (see Figure 5) upon which are illustrations of animals,scenes and drawings of any desired description. This strip is formed asan endless belt over the rollers 26 and 27 and the lower roller 26 hasthe rod 24 projecting through the side beam or frame arms 4 at the endof.

which there is attached a knob 28 for turning the roller. The roller ispreferably provided with a frictional surface and the endless belt isstretched tightly enough so that when the knob 28 is turned any desiredpicture 29 or figure may be aligned in the window opening 30. Mounted onthe top cross supporting member 5 on its inner face and hangingdownward, are two right angle brackets 31 and 32, which are secured onthe under-face of the cross beam 5 and which carry in their verticaldepending elements, a rod 33. This rod 33 carries a series of rolls 34(see Figure 8) which are slid over the rods 31 and may be each rotatedindependently on the rod 31. If necessary a small washer may be added atone end of the array so that there is no longitudinal motion of therolls along the rod 33. Any other means may be used to keep the rolls 34in substantially the same posi-- tion on the shaft or rod 33. The rolls34 may be of material which is self lubricating and should easily turnon the shaft 33. The rolls 34 have two flange members 35 and 36 whichare spaced apart on the roll 34 a distance equal to the width of thetape 37 carrying the letters or any other desired insignia. The tape 37,when made up and mounted, is in the form of an endless belt and passesover the roller 34 between the flanges 35 and 36. The roll 34 has an endextension or collar 38 which spaces the roll from the next roll forproper alignment of the various columns. If desired the elements 38 maybe independent of the rest of the roll and simply act as a washerbetween two successive rolls. At the lower end of the opening in whichthe letters and illustrations are carried, there is provided an openinghousing 39 (see Figure 10), which includes a base plate 40 with twomounting screws or bolts passing through the holes 41 in side flanges 42of the base plate. The housing is formed with a back upwardly extendingwall 43 and end walls 44 and 45 and a front wall 46 joined in arectangular frame and securely attached to the base wall or plate 40.The front wall 46 has a slot 47 running its whole length providing anopening from the surface of the bottom 40 to the edge of the front wall46. In the lower edge 48 of the front wall 46, there are provided aseries of recesses 49 for aligning the operating mechanism, as will bepresently described.

A fixed shaft or rod 50 is secured between the end walls 44, and 45, andthese carry a series of rollers 51 (see Figures 7 and 10), which at oneend have a spur gear 52 and near the other end a flange 53 so that thetape 37 may be received on the roller 51 between the spur gear 52 andthe flange 53. An end collar 54 extending from the other end of theflange 53 serves as a spacing member between successive rollers in thesame 3 manner as described in.,.connection with the roller 34 of Fis s.7.

The various rollers 51 each carrying the spur gears 52 have the samespacing alignment as the rollers 34 on the shaft 33. Each'roller 51 withits spur gear 52 is fixed in place in any suitable manner as by packingthe rollers one opposite the other with the end washers between the endwalls on the shaft 50, or the shaft 50 may have a slightly punchedoifset to prevent the rollers from moving longitudinally on the shaft50. The rollers however are free to turn on the shaft 50 and for thispurpose may be a material formed with a self lubricating hearing.

The upright end walls 44 and 45 also carry the rod 19 which isjournalled in the side walls 44 and 45 and may be turned by means of aturning crank 18. The rod 19 in the section 55 within the bearingsupport may be made with a square cross section so that the sleeve 56which slides over the section 55 may turn with it when the handle 18 isturned. This sleeve has fixed on its outer side the gear 57 which is inposition to mesh with the gear 52 and turn any of the rolls 51. Theflange 53 is smaller than the gear 52 so that the gear 57 may be movedlongitudinally along the shaft 55 but engage in any of the gears 52.This is accomplished by means of a plate 58 which has a slot 59 throughit just the width of the gear 57 and sufiiciently long to permit thegear to be rotated with the sleeve 56 through the slot. The plate 58 isheld upward against the sleeve 56 by means of a bowed spring 60 the endsof which rest freely near the forward edge of the plate 40 of thehousing or frame, in which the whole operating mechanism is supported.It will be evident therefore that the plate 58 may be moved lengthwisealong the slot 48 for engaging the gear 57 with the corresponding gear52 of any of the rolls. In moving the plate 58 along the slot, thehandle end 61 of the plate 58 is bent downward against the action of thespring 60 to first depress the upwardly projecting boss or finger 62which is shaped to engage in any of the slots 49 for fixing the gear 57in its proper position. When finger 62 engages in the slot or recesses49, the gear 57 is properly aligned with one of the gears 52. The sleeve56 is suificiently long to prevent any wobble in the gear 57 and themember 62 will align the two gears to mesh in the same plane so that byturning the handle 18, the roll 51 is properly rotated. The tape 37 isformed in an endless fashion about the rollers 51 and 34 and tensionedsufficiently so that rotation of the rod 18 will easily move the tapefrom one position to another.

Behind the window opening for the series of tapes, there is a plate 63,which is held by the side angle brackets 64 to the side uprights 3 and4. The plate 63 may have two end extending flanges 65 so that the tapewill slide freely over the face of the plate and be presented close tothe window opening so that there will be no difliculty of seeing lettersor insignia, from any angle.

In the operation of the device, the child simply sets the handle 61 ofthe indicator in vertical alignment with any one of the window openings20. This is done by pressing the handle 61 down and then moving it alonguntil it comes into the notch 49 which is in alignment with the desiredwindow opening. Cranking the handle 18, then the desired letter may bebrought in position in front of the window. The handle 28 may also beturned to bring the desired figure in the window 30. For associatingwords with figures, a drawing of a kitten, for instance, may bedisplayed in the window, when the word kitten is supplied in theletters.

The device is also usable as a desk for the child or as a black-board,simply by lowering the table member 9 into the same plane as the sidesupports 3 and 4.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A writing board device comprising a comparatively flat hollowrectangular casing having a front wall with window openingstherethrough, a pair of parallel shafts ssrss o n ed. O tpn and. ott m oai can; ing behind said front wall a plurality of pairs of feed rollersrotatably mounted on said shafts in transverse alignment, an endlesstape supported on each pair of rollers, the rollers on one of saidshafts each having a similar spur gear secured thereto, a third shaftpositioned parallel to the shaft with the spur gears thereon, means forrotating said third shaft a pinion slidable on said third shaft androtatable therewith, and means for aligning and holding said pinion inmesh with any of said spur gears including a slot in said casingparallel to said shafts having a series of transversely spaced notchesaligned with said spur gears, a lever extending through said slot andpivotally embracing said pinion, and spring means urging said levertowards said notches, whereby said lever may be manually moved to andheld in any selected notch to engage the pinion with a selected spurgear.

2. A writing board device comprising a comparatively flat hollowrectangular casing having a front wall with window openings.therethrough, a pair of parallel shafts respectively mounted on the topand bottom of said casing behind said front wall a plurality of pairs offeed rollers rotatably .mounted on said shafts in transverse alignment,an endless tape supported on each pair of rollers, the rollers on one ofsaid shafts each having a similar spur gear secured thereto a thirdshaft positioned parallel to the shaft with the spur gears thereon,means for rotating said third shaft a pinion slidable on said thirdshaft and rotatable therewith, and means for aligning and holding saidpinion in mesh with any of said spur gears, comprising a plate memberhaving a slot therein with the sides thereof adjacent the sides of saidpinion, means providing a slot longitudinally of said third shaft alongwhich said plate member may be moved, said plate member having a handleextended in front of the front wall of the board whereby said platemember may be selectively positioned for intermeshing said pinion withany one of said spur gears.

3. A writing board device comprising a comparatively fiat hollowrectangular casing having a frontwall with window openings therethrough,a pair of parallel shafts respectively mounted on the top and bottom ofsaid casing behind said front walla plurality of pairs of feed rollersrotatably mounted on said shafts in transverse alignment, an endlesstape supported on each pair of rollers, the rollers on one of saidshafts each having a similar spur gear secured thereto, a third shaftpositioned parallel to the shaft with the spur gears thereon, means forrotating said third shaft a pinion slidable on said third shaft androtatable therewith, and means for aligning and holding said pinion inmesh with any of said spur gears comprising a plate member having a slottherein with the sides thereof embracing the sides of saidpinion, meansproviding a slot longitudinally of; said third shaft with recessesassociated one with each of said spur gears along which slot said platemember may be moved, said plate member having a handlecx tending infront of the front wall of the board and a finger adapted to engage anyone of said recesses, and spring means for retaining said finger in anyone of said recesses wherebysaid plate member may be selectivelypositioned for intermeshing said pinion with any one of said spur gears.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 52,758Skinner Feb. 20, 1866 1,674,553 Jones June 19, 1928 2,494,362 SchatzIan. 10, 1950 2,575,866 H. A. De Valle-Arizpe Nov. 20, 1951 FOREIGNPATENTS 32,073 Holland Feb. 15, 1934

